Huntsville gazette., 1887-04-23
1t Admits That America Has Again BSv0ll
@S1lonized the scasnc9 a Swsr~Enect
Sf Gisnt Dy1k pise shslb 1ren
49, es1nvillpihle' 1ronclads. "a

#S1aenized the ssenes Il wsr%Ed.ct
Of Gisnt ny pite Ahslh 6fen
~S% s,'Invinekhle" fronclads. "a
IA ssag "a sswm
The problem of firihg or rather, pro-
pelling shells filed with high explosives
.may be said to have been satisfactorily
solved by the Americana. Tentative
experiments in that direction have been
. carried OF fot the last two years with
powder guns by Officers of the United
States army. Early in 1885 trials were
made with dynamite shells at Port Lo-
shes ca, under rthe apervisioa Of Gen
eral Kelton, assisted by Lieutenant
Quinan, OF. the Fourth United States
Artillery The piece Of ordnance used
was condemned three-inch rifled
wrought-iron gun. Mr.. Quinan in per-
son loatletl the. shells, each she'll ian
Elongated threerinch fife projectile-
being Charged with seven ounces of
dynamite The first projecting charge
was qualfer-poundo of ordinary powder
ss'usea IN the United States artillery,
subsequently increased to half pound
and one pound. In the first and see
ond discharges, the shells did just what
was expected of them: they did not ex-i
plode until they struck the target, a
rock one hundred yards from the, gun.
When the third charge was fired, how
ever, the explosion of the charge, the
bursting of the shell and the shattering
of the gun. appeared to be simultane-
> Gus, the piece of ordnance being torn
into fragments. This may be said to
have been just what was expected and
intended. the object being to demon
strate how far shell loaded with q
high explosive may be fired from ordi-
nary guns # the propelling charge is
properly regulated. & s1~ss&sS@k
Subsequently, trials were made on
the Potomac, near Washington, by the
AUnited States Dynamite Projectile Com
pany with Snider dynamite projectiles.
-Four six-inch shells, carrying eleven
pound bursting charges of nitro-gela-
&, tine, were fired against q ledge Of rock
one thousand yards. distant. The ex-
periments were regarded as a success
in every, respect, and as a conclusive
proof Of the destructive power Of six
inch Shells the latter exploding on
striking the target, and doing good
execution on the rock. But so far, all
attempts to throw larger charges Of
; high explosives out of powder guns
have failed. Atleast four guns have been
burst at Sandy Hook; one recently.
Having failed in the attempts to throw
alncamphorated explosive gelatine, the
very much less sensitive camphorated
explosive gelatine was resorted to.
This is also less powerful than the un-
camphorated, and requires very strong
initial detonationby illuminate of mer-
curry and dynamite or gun-cotton to
. attainsoits fullest development OF
= strength. s In no case hayafte reqnisite
) detonators of illuminate Of mHr6ary
been thrown, as these are very sensi-
tive to explosion, by the shock which
theysreceive in the powder gun. All
athe experiments made were instructive,
but they were also destructive of the
< 4 n
The problem@ @ofA propelling shells
!. filled with high explosives. with safety
stestke guns and to those discharging
them, was. not satisfac torily settled
until lieutenant Zalinski, of the Fifth
/. United States artillery, brought for
stard his pneumatic gun, on the inven-
ton and improvement of which he had
: been engaged for some time This gun
is in reality tube sixty feet
long, made of half-inch iron lined with
one-sixteenth Of an inch of brass, and
having a bore Of eight inches. The
barrel is supported and stiffened by a
light but strong iron frame, at the cen
ter Of which is q pivot, sbout which
the gun may be rcvolved, the breech
end being provided with wheels, which
: run upon q circular track. The gun is
elevated and depressed by means of a
piston, tho cylinder of which receives
air from Iseights reservoirs-each Of
.whiehs-is~ twenty feet hong, twelve
sindtesbutsile aiai1eter, and made of
iron half ali inch thick-placed upon
the. frame, ,bepeatlns the 1barrel. Sthe air
being supplied by a compressor Ihls
piston presses upon the gun Just for
> ward Of the trunnions to elevate the
!. barrek Upon the air being allowed to
escape slowly, the barrel is lowered by
gram y 70, the pistons Of two cylin,
sierss placed ut the pivot are secured
the ends of wire ropes. one of which IS
secured to thetrear part Of the frame,
the other to the opposite side. The